The building was constructed in 1936 by the Japanese colonial era Shinchiku Prefecture as the municipality’s main fire station, Hsinchu Cultural Affairs Bureau Cultural Heritage Section head Lin Hsiao-hua (林曉華) said.  

The station consists of a two-story main complex and a six-story watchtower that was then the tallest structure in the city, she said.

The watchtower had direct lines of sight to every alley and corner of the city and had speaking tubes that ran down its structural walls, allowing watch personnel to spot fires and notify firefighters quartered bellow, she said.

There will be music, games, stalls and a barbecue as well as the chance to have a closer look at the fire station.  

There will also be displays and demonstrations, a chance to meet Fireman Sam, and a vintage fire engine on show.

The event runs from 10am until 4pm.

The new engine will replace an existing 2003 Typhoon Pumper manufactured by E-One, which is based in Ocala. That engine, which is 15 years old, has high mileage and high hours of operation on it, which has led to increased maintenance costs, a memo from Purchasing Manager Mike Thornton and Fire Chief David Johnson states.  

The new engine, like most pumpers, is a critical piece of equipment that will carry large quantities of fire hoses and nozzles, the memo says. It will have a 750-gallon plastic water tank that can be used for quick responses until connections with fire hydrants can be established. And it comes with a 2,000-gallon-per-minute Hale pump.